1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to resources on computer networks, particularly the Internet, and more particularly to a file storage and retrieval system that is available worldwide via the Internet which additionally allows a direct transfer of Internet files to an Internet storage, retrieval, and sharing resource. The present invention acts in the manner of a xe2x80x9cInternet hard diskxe2x80x9d or xe2x80x9cInternet hard drivexe2x80x9d to provide online storage and retrieval resources for users.
2. Description of the Related Art
The Internet is the worldwide computer network making available a vast number of computer and information resources to institutions and individuals. A significant part of the Internet is the worldwide web that allows for web pages to be written in HTML and transmitted upon demand throughout the Internet. Recent developments have better established the use of XML (Extensible Markup Language) as a subset of SGML (Standard Generalized Markup Language, ISO standard 8879:1986). FTP (File Transfer Protocol) provides means by which files may be transferred over the Internet. All of these protocols are generally well known in the art, and collateral resources can easily be obtained to describe these further.
Additionally, portable programming systems such as Java(copyright), JavaBeans, and JavaScript have been extensively developed with an anticipation of future portability across the vast network that is the Internet. Java(copyright)-related systems allow for object-oriented programming whereby objects or xe2x80x9cbeansxe2x80x9d allow the passing of self-contained modules with associated processing methods that are used to act upon the accompanying data. Consequently, the xe2x80x9cbeanxe2x80x9d can travel through a network and, under appropriate circumstances, have certain processes activated allowing manipulation of the information contained in the bean.
Advancements in Java(copyright)-related systems have given rise to the Enterprise JavaBean(trademark) (EJB). The Enterprise JavaBean(trademark) allows for clustering of servers such that the bean is given independence from specific servers on the system, yet can be activated or xe2x80x9cinstantiatedxe2x80x9d such that error recovery is easier, the system as a whole is more robust, and processing of the bean can be performed asynchronously so that all events do not have to happen at a pre-set time or serially/one after the other.
Enterprise JavaBeans(trademark)/EJBs allow serialization of beans. Such serialization allows the bean to be represented as a data stream of determined length. In essence, this is just a data file that is interpreted in the proper context, much the same as any electronic information file. Such serialization of the EJB allows it to be replicated and stored in case of catastrophic failure of a preferred server or the like.
If the server upon which the instantiated EJB dies, goes down, or fails, a previously replicated twin can be used to continue the process and allow for error recovery. More information about Enterprise JavaBeans(trademark) technology can be found in the white paper, xe2x80x9cEnterprise Javabeans(trademark) Technology: Server Component Model for the Java(trademark) Platformxe2x80x9d by Anne Thomas, revised December 1998, prepared for Sun Microsystems, Inc. and published/made available by the Patricia Seybold Group of Boston, Mass.
Due to the nature of new technologies, terms such as xe2x80x9cbeanxe2x80x9d or xe2x80x9cinstantiatedxe2x80x9d may seem unfamiliar to those new to the pertinent art. Reasons for this include the difficulty of communicating quickly new and complex subjects as well as the good-humored nature of those who intensely pursue the establishment of new technology, particularly software systems. Consequently, for Java(copyright)-related systems, a coffee theme is often present that indicates to those knowledgeable in the art the general subject matter of interest. While distinctions may be subtle in the art, they can be very important and serve the ends of those attempting to establish, share, and forward the technology.
Generally, home pages or other web pages are requested by the user through designation of the URL (Uniform Resource Locator). With the transmission to the user via TCP/IP protocol, the information present at the URL (and generally a file located somewhere on a computer) is transmitted to the user. The file may have links, or pointers, to other resources including images, graphics, audio or video streams, or other resources. Mark-up language is used on the Internet in an attempt to provide an open-ended structure by which information of any sort that can be stored electronically (or perhaps even otherwise) can be made available to an end user on demand. As such, the Internet is seen as a powerful tool making almost any information resource available to any computer or to any person using a computer.
Over the past several years, the personal computer has increased in power and capacity as commercial demand has driven the research and development of producers and vendors. It is now not uncommon to be able to easily find an Intel-manufactured 500 megahertz Pentium(copyright)-based system having well over 10 gigabytes of hard disk space, as well as 32-256 megabytes of RAM. As such, the power by which files may be received and acted upon by the local user through his or her PC has kept pace with the advances in technology.
However, there currently remain obstacles to universal access to an individual""s own information stored on his or her computer. First of all, computers are very heavy. They are bulky. They generally weigh several kilograms and are not easily transportable. Lightweight laptop computers or the like generally do not have the same resources available to the user as a regular PC. Additionally, access to local area networks (LANs) is generally not available once the computer leaves the premises occupied by the LAN. Additionally, Internet access is often restricted by the use of a modem. Modems generally provide data transmission speeds on the order of 56 kilobits per second. This is approximately the same as 7 kilobytes per second. However, headers and other information are required to properly transmit information over the Internet and increase the effective size of files.
Even with the increased availability of broad band access to the Internet, it becomes an important feature of electronic information processing and the like in order to provide resident resources on the Internet. Such resources could include the sharing of files and the like in a manner that are easy to use and understand.
Due to these and other restrictions regarding data transport, transmission, and reception, a need has arisen for means by which files and other data may be available worldwide through the Internet and not tied to a local computer. The present invention addresses this demand by providing means by which files and other data may be stored on the Internet and made available worldwide through the Internet.
The present invention provides an xe2x80x9cInternet hard drivexe2x80x9d or xe2x80x9cInternet hard diskxe2x80x9d to and from which files may be stored and retrieved. Denominated commercially as xe2x80x9cX:Drive,xe2x80x9d the present invention allows users to store files of foreseeably any type on a resource available throughout the Internet. Once available to the Internet, the files stored on the user""s X:Drive are available to the same extent as the Internet, namely worldwide.
Note should be made that the term xe2x80x9cX:Drivexe2x80x9d refers both to the system as a whole and to the individual space allocated to an individual user. Consequently, reference is sometimes made herein to the X:Drive system or to X:Drive to refer to the system as a whole. At other times, the term X:Drive indicates the user""s individual X:Drive, or allocated space. The different uses are indicated by context.
In order to effect the Shared Internet Storage Resource of the present invention, a central or distributed storage facility is provided. First and foremost is the high-speed access storage facility where files are actually stored. Such individual storage areas may be allocated in individual limited allotments, or be left open-ended and limited only by the capacity of the physical devices responsible for storage. Metadata, that is data about the files stored on the network hard drives or other storage devices, is generated and stored in a separate database. The database of metadata (the metadatabase) and the network-attached storage facility may be linked by an internal network. It is possible for the database to be stored on the same network storage facility or device on which user files are also stored. System management may select whether or not to distribute or consolidate the database with the network storage.
Also attached to the internal network is a web server that serves to generate and transmit the information to the Internet, and ultimately the user. The web server files may pass through a load balancer and/or firewall before proceeding on to the Internet. The same is similarly true for information coming into the web server from the Internet.
XML may be used in combination with JavaScript or the like to provide two means by which the Shared Internet Storage Resource of the present invention may be achieved. The first is a JavaScript object which may be transmitted to a browser program running on the user""s computer. Such browsers may include ones that are well known, including Netscape(copyright) Communicator and Microsoft(copyright) Internet Explorer. Alternatively, a stand-alone application may be installed and stored upon the user""s computer. This stand-alone application serves to intermediate the user commands with the web server and ultimately the metadatabase in the Internet storage device.
As an additional enhancement, the user interface may be a client program that meshes seamlessly with standard user presentations in WYSIWYG (what you see is what you get) graphic user interfaces (GUIs). As such, a drive may be shown on the user""s computer and may be denominated xe2x80x9cx:xe2x80x9d (or xe2x80x9cy:xe2x80x9d or xe2x80x9cz:xe2x80x9d, etc., depending upon user preferences). The user can then read from or write to the x:  Shared Internet Storage Resource drive much in the same way as you would the local a:  and c: hard drive.
When the user shuts down his or her computer, information that is stored on the Shared Internet Storage Resource of the present invention remains on the Internet. The user can then access such information from another computer, another geographic location, or even give permission to share files on the Shared Internet Storage Resource with others. Password protection or other security protocols may be used to limit or discriminate access to the user""s files.
The Shared Internet Storage Resource of the present invention allows for direct Internet-to-Internet file transfer to a user""s allocated X:Drive file space in a process referred to as xe2x80x9cSkip the Downloadxe2x80x9d or xe2x80x9cSave to My Xdrive.xe2x80x9d
It is an object of the present invention to provide a Shared Internet Storage Resource on which users may store and retrieve files to make them available to themselves, or possibly others, throughout the Internet.
It is an additional object of the present invention to provide all manner of file access and control generally available to files local to the users for such Internet-stored files.
It is an additional object of the present invention to provide an easy-to-use and readily understood user interface through which files may be stored, retrieved, and manipulated on the Internet.
It is an additional object of the present invention to gather metadata regarding such files and to store such metadata in a database.
It is yet another object of the present invention to provide a plurality of means by which Internet-stored files may be manipulated and controlled.
It is yet another object of the present invention to provide a browser-based access to Internet-stored files.
It is yet another object of the present invention to provide stand-alone application access to Internet-stored files.
It is yet another object of the present invention to provide means by which Internet files may be stored on an Internet resource by a direct Internet-to-Internet transfer subject to the control of a remote or limited-resource user.
These and other objects and advantages of the present invention will be apparent from a review of the following specification and accompanying drawings.